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Hole-tastic game 'Donut County' launches August 28th
Have you ever wanted to play as a hole in a video game? No? Well, you're going to get the chance regardless. Indie developer Ben Esposito is releasing his oddball title Donut County August 28th for PS4, iOS and computers (through GOG, the Mac App Store and Steam). The premise remains as absurd as ever: you're playing as raccoons who use holes to take humans' trash, and the holes get larger the more you swallow up. There's a whiff of Katamari Damacy to it, although it's much more puzzle-oriented (you may need to grab a smaller object to manipulate a larger one, for instance).
GOG adds 'Hotline Miami' and other Steam games to your library
GOG is extending its efforts to liberate your games from Steam's copyright protection. Alongside a back-to-school sale, the online game store is expanding its GOG Connect effort to cover 17 more games, including Hotline Miami, the 2013 Shadow Warrior remake and the space exploration title X Rebirth. It's the same drill as before: connect your Steam account and you can grab DRM-free copies of those games at no charge, helping you back them up or move them without hassles. The focus remains on indie games, but it's still good news if you're worried that you've put too many eggs in Steam's basket.
GOG will add select Steam games to your library for free
Juggling multiple digital libraries can be complicated. Did you buy that game on Steam, or GOG.com? Depending on the game, it might not matter anymore. Today, GOG.com announced a new service that will automatically add select Steam games to your GOG library -- for free.
GOG.com is selling still-in-development games, too
Who says only Steam users get to have all the fun with Early Access games? Well, not GOG anymore. Today the PC-gaming seller is announcing its curated take on vending still-in-development software. Purchases are refundable within 14 days, no time limit (Steam doesn't offer refunds if you've played more than two hours), no questions asked. More than that, if an update breaks one of these games or changes in a way you don't like, you can roll back to a previous version via the service's Galaxy desktop client. And this version of access to non-final games wouldn't truly be a GOG endeavor if any of them were locked behind digital-rights management, so they aren't. Basically, it's treating these builds like any other type of game it'd sell.
GOG Galaxy lets you roll back broken or unwanted updates
The latest version of gaming platform GOG Galaxy now supports patch and update rollbacks, letting you quickly restore a game to a previous version. Rollbacks were originally touted by the company as an DRM-free, anti-Steam feature, letting you skip an update if you hated it. "We know that patches can occasionally break a game or affect your mods," said tech VP Piotr Karwowski. GOG Galaxy has other ways you can avoid being locked down, like an opt-out for automatic updates and the ability buy games straight from its store sans the platform. Other game clients, including Steam, generally require such updates, a bone of contention for some players.
GOG's Galaxy platform is one step closer to taking on Steam
It seems like just yesterday Good Old Games was giving away copies of Aliens vs. Predator to get folks to try its (optional) PC gaming service, Galaxy. Times have changed and leading into The Witcher 3: WIld Hunt's release -- the first major title debuting on the storefront -- the platform is moving from closed alpha testing into an open beta. The constant that's carrying over from the alpha is that you aren't required to participate in anything within the software. Not into automatic updates that might fix some of your favorite glitches in a game? That's totally cool; you can opt out and still keep playing. Steam and Origin aren't quite as keen on that.
Four of the best 'Star Wars' games just landed on Steam
You've had the option of playing X-Wing and TIE Fighter (aka some of the finest Star Wars games ever) on modern PCs for a while, but let's face it: you've been waiting to buy them on Steam, haven't you? If so, you now have your chance. X-Wing, TIE Fighter, X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter and X-Wing Alliance have reached Valve's store, complete with their expansion packs. In the case of the first two spaceflight titles, you even have your choice of playing the DOS-based originals or their Windows re-releases. They normally cost $10 each ($30 as part of a bundle), but a promo will knock 10 percent off the price if you pick any of them up by May 7th.
You can finally play the best-ever Star Wars games on a modern PC (updated)
Forget that upcoming Battlefront game for now -- the Star Wars titles that hardcore fans have really been looking for are finally here. Good Old Games has announced official re-releases of X-Wing and TIE Fighter that let you play these legendary space combat games (arguably, the best Star Wars games ever) on a modern PC without resorting to bootleg copies or hacks. They'll cost $10 each when they arrive on October 28th, and they're Special Editions that include both the CD-ROM content (SVGA graphics! Voiceovers!) as well as all the expansion packs. If you've been waiting two decades to once more recreate the Death Star trench run or blow up a Rebel frigate, your moment has come. Update: As you may have suspected, GOG posted those game links prematurely -- they disappeared shortly after we posted our story. Come back on the 28th and they should work properly.
Good Old Games sympathizes with furloughed workers, offers free games
Furloughed workers of America, Good Old Games feels your pain. You're home, not necessarily getting paid, and you may be running out of land to explore in Grand Theft Auto V's vast expanses. Luckily, they've got a massive library of games waiting for you, and they're making a bundle of 'em free between now and this Friday. Snag free copies of The Guild: Gold Edition, Capitalism, Capitalism 2, Tropico: Gold Edition, Alpha Centauri, Alien Crossfire, Theme Hospital, and Redneck Rampage by sending in "your picture holding the official furlough letter you received" to (the sarcastic, though potentially offensive) thanksobama@gog.com. For us non-government employees, those games are all on sale for 50 percent off for the next 24 hours. Not too shabby either!
GOG.com launches indie game portal that could compete with the Mac App Store
If you're an indie game developer and want to see your wares distributed on Mac, you're probably going to target either the Mac App Store or Steam. While both of these marketplaces are vibrant, GOG.com thinks it might be able to do things even better. The digital game distribution outlet -- which originally launched to focus strictly on vintage titles -- is launching a new indie developer portal for both Mac and Windows titles. Perhaps the most interesting thing about GOG's new venture is that it could very well become a direct competitor to Apple's own Mac App Store. GOG's userbase has been steadily growing for several years thanks to well-timed sales and a vast catalog of older content for both Mac and Windows, and the company is offering a couple of options with regards to revenue splits. Developers can opt for the same 70/30 (Developer/GOG) split as Apple offers on its digital store, or -- and this could be a big deal for many -- GOG will offer an advance on the royalties from future sales. That advance is then repaid to GOG through a 60/40 (Developer/GOG) split until the amount is repaid, at which point royalties default back to 70/30. This novel approach to royalties can help fledgling developers score some much needed cash once a project has been finished, and may well lure some game makers away from other distribution options. On top of this, GOG promotes all of the games it sells via well-trafficked social media channels as well as the site's front page. These perks may or may not fully equal the foot traffic advantage that the Mac App Store will likely always hold, but it's definitely worth the consideration of budding game creators. [via Develop]
Good Old Games rolls out Mac support, 50 games now in catalog
As we first reported on October 18, the fine folks at Good Old Games, which offers legacy PC games at bargain prices, will be supporting our favorite platform: the company's announced that 50 titles will now be available for the Mac, with prices starting at $2.99. There's an Essentials bundle which delivers five classics (SimCity 2000, Postal) at a 50% discount to celebrate the launch; that's good through Thursday afternoon. Joystiq caught hints of this announcement with the release of The Witcher 2 on Steam last week, so they're pleased that the expected Mac support has come to pass. You can browse the full GOG catalog for Mac and see if there are any games that catch your fancy.
Good Old Games now supports Mac, kicks off with approximately 50 games
Everyone's favorite DRM-free digital games distributor, Good Old Games, is now offering support for just over 50 games on Mac OS-based machines. That means that classics like Syndicate and the Wing Commander series are now offered through the service, not to mention new classics like Botanicula and The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. To kick off the launch, GOG's offering a variety of discounts (including 50 percent off of SimCity 2000 -- a no brainer if you ask us), as well as an Apple-flavored commercial that we've dropped below the break. If you haven't already headed over to GOG and started madly purchasing things, we'd suggest watching the tongue-in-cheek trailer, for the chuckles alone.
